This invention relates to counters which employ rotatable counter wheels. More particularly, the present invention relates to new and improved reset counters of highly efficient, inexpensive construction.
Counters which employ rotatable wheels having consecutive numerals on the outer rims of the wheels are well known. Such counters typically employ several counting wheels having consecutive numerals on their outer peripheral surfaces and transfer pinions between adjacent wheels for rotatably advancing the count of the succeeding number wheel in response to the rotatable advancement of the lower order wheel. Reset counters to which the invention relates, such as trip odometers installed in vehicles, typically employ a reset finger assembly. Manual actuation of a reset lever forces fingers into engagement with cam surfaces of the counter wheels for returning the counter wheels to the zero position. The finger assembly typically is coordinated with the transfer pinion assembly so that the transfer pinions are withdrawn from engagement with the counter wheels to allow for the resetting.
In U.S. Pat. No. 4,774,398, assigned to the assignee of the present invention, a low-cost non-resettable counter employs an axially extending barrel which forms a segmental cylindrical surface. The barrel which typically has a diameter significantly greater than a conventional counter wheel mounting shaft receives counter wheels in axial side-by-side disposition to form a bank of co-axial rotatable counter wheels. The barrel additionally defines an axial groove which is recessed from the cylindrical mounting surface. A pinion shaft integrally extends from an end wall of the groove and axially traverses the groove for mounting the transfer pinions. The transfer pinions continuously engage between the adjacent counter wheels for rotatably advancing a high order wheel in response to a pre-established angular rotation of the lower order wheel.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,829,164 filed on July 18, 1988, and assigned to the assignee of the present invention, discloses a low cost counter barrel which is manufactured from transparent or translucent material. The barrel and the counter wheels may be constructed of light transmissive materials and arranged to provide an internal light path to illuminate the counter in an efficient and esthetically pleasing manner. The foregoing counter disclosed in U.S. Pat. application No. 4,829,164 does not have any dividing structures centrally of the barrel which would tend to interrupt the light path. The internal light path is also not constrained or interrupted by variably positionable pawl mechanisms or significant axial spacing between adjacent counter wheels such as may be present for resetting the counter wheels in low cost resettable counters.